Fluid transmission



Jan. 29, 1946. R. J. MILLER FLUID TRANSMISSION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledFeb. 4, 1944 www v INVENTo Baggio/vnd /afe Jam-29, 1946.

R. J. MILLER 2,393,862

FLUID TRANSMISSION Filed Feb. 4, 1944 sheets-sheet 2 y l INVENTOR I@Wad/Mate UurinV sfl'lrrla's PATE-Nr o FLUID 'mANsMlssxoN aymond J.Miller, Detroit, Mich., assigner to Bendix Aviation Corporation,Detroit, Mich., a corporation oi Delaware Apucauon February 4, 1944,serial 140.521.104

FFICE 1`o claims.

This invention relates to transmissions, and more 'particularly to thattype known as fluid torque converters.

Broadly the invention comprehends a fluid transmission yincluding animpeller, a turbine and a reaction member, and means on the im pellerand turbine cooperating to provide a fluid coupling adapted throughsuitable mechanisms to increase and decrease the blade area of the im-lpeller as conditions require.

An object oi the invention is to provide a fluid torque converterincluding an impeller, aturbine, a reaction member, and means controlledby fluid reaction adapted to vary the operating blade area of theimpeller.

Anotherl object of the invention is to provide a fluid torque converterincluding an impeller, a turbine, a lreaction member, a bladed member onthe impeller, a bladed member on the turbine, and means associated withthe bladed member on the turbine for varying the operating area -of theimpeller.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fluid transmissionincluding an impeller, a turbire driven thereby, a reaction membercooperating with the impeller and turbine, a fluid coupling intermediatethe impeller and turbine, and means associated with a member of thecoupling for varying the blade area of the impeller.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a fluidtransmission comprising an impeller, a turbine providing in conjunctionWith the impeller a fluid circuit, blades on the turbine and impeller,bladed members within the respective impeller and turbine, an axiallymovable shroud on the impeller blades, and means associated with one ofthe bladed members for actuating the shroud.

Another object of the invention is the provision oi' a fluid torqueconverter including an impeller, a turbine associated therewith, areaction member, and means associated with the impeller and turbine forvarying the blade operating area of the impeller. l

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawings forming apart of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a fluid torque converterembodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the impeller shroudactuating mechanism; Fig. 3 is a'sectional view substantially on line 33, oi' Fig. 2; and

tails o1' the invention, lll represents a stationary rig. 4 is a viewtaken substantially on une 4 4 o1' Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings for more specific deframe having rigidlysecured thereto a sleeve I2- and providing in conjunction therewith apassage I4 terminating in an opening i6 in the sleeve. A fluid conduitI8 connected to a fluid pump system, not shown, communicates with theopening I8. .The sleeve l2 is internally slotted to provide a channel 20terminating in an opening 22 and the channel 2li is covered by a tube 24fitted snugly in the sleeve. The stationary frame I0 also has a bearingsupport 28 -concentrically disposed with relation tothe sleeve l2.

A housing 28 has oppositely disposed axial hubs 30 and 32. The hub 3breceives a bearing 34 fitted on the stationary sleeve I2 and the hub 32has internal splines 36 for the reception of a driven shaft, not shown,and bolted or otherwise secured on the hub 32 is a bearing support 38for the reception of a bearing 40.

A drivingshaft 42de fitted in the tube 24 with ample clearance toprovide an annular passage 44. The shaft has splined thereon a hub 46held against displacement by a retaining ringy 48 threaded in the end ofthe shaft, and the hub 46 has a concentrically disposed sleeve 50 forthe reception of bearing 40, and a fluid seal 52 is interposed betweenthe sleeve 50 and hub 32 of the housing 28.

An impeller indicated ygenerally at 5e includes an outer shroud 5Eintegral with the hub 46, and the shroud has an opening E3 therethroughfor the passage of fluid so as to balance the pressure on the inner andouter faces of the shroud. l

The outer shroud 56 has arranged thereon blades 60 and an annular ring82 is supported by the blades. The annular ring 62 has pivoted thereon alever 64 one end of which supports a senil-circular annular shroud 66having mounted therein blades 68, and the other end of the 4lever isconnected to an inner shroud 'ld of theimpeller by a toggle 12. The ring62 has pins 14 therein adapted to cooperate with slots 'I6 in the Aturbine indicated generally at 30 cooperates.

able housing 28, and the sets are spaced apartl by a free equalizingvortex. The vanes 84 and 83 support-an inner shroud section 83cooperating with shroudsection 10 of the impeller.

The second stage of the turbine has vanes 80 supporting an outer shroud82; and the third stage of the turbine includes two sets ofvanes 84 and38 alike in structure and arrangement to the vanes 84 and 88 of the rststage. the vanes 34 and 93 supporting an outer shroud having one of itsends spaced from the hub 40 t0 provide a fluid inlet to the vortexchamber. Thev shroud 88 has secured thereto a ring |02 having wipingengagement with the stationary sleeve |2 and serving to complete thechannel 44.

i The inner shroud 88 ofthe turbine has aillxed internally thereof asemi-circular shroud |04 mounting blades |03 adapted to provide incooperation with the shroud 83 and blades 38 a fluid coupling, thepurpose of which will hereinafter appear.

The stationary sleeve l2 has iixedhr secured thereon bearing races |08andi i0. Bearing race |08 has mounted securely thereon an annular ring||2 provided with sockets ||4 for the reception of toggles ||8.

A retractile reaction member forcooperation I with the impeller andturbine is indicated generally at I I8. The reaction member includes acarrier |20 mounted for travel on the bearing races |08 and ||0, and thecarrier has sockets |22 therein for the reception of one end of thetoggles ||3. The toggle is adapted to provide for the retractilemovement of the reaction member upon slight rotation thereof in thefluid circuit.

The carrier supports a spider |24 having se.

cured thereto outer shrouds |23 and |28, and

assassin Concomitantly withlthe rotation of the impeller and turbine,the blades 33 and |03 rotate respectively with the impeller and turbine,with a resultant drag being imposed upon rotation of the blades 33 bythe blades |03 through the ymedium of the fluid in the transmission. The

'I2 to eil'ect an axial movement of the inner imi peller shroud 10.

IISl

The axial movement of the shroud provides for a reduction in theoperating area of the im- A peller blades. thus increasing the torqueoutput of the transmission because of the change in ratio of the bladearea of the impeller to the vane area of the turbine.

arranged on the respective shrouds are spaced sets of vanes |30 and |32adapted to straddle the vanes 30 of the second stage of the turbine. Thevanes |30 are characterized inthat they are streamlineV vanes havinghigh lift and are substantiallyoverbent so as to quickly influence theturning moment oi!v the fluid; and the vanes |32 are streamline bvaneshaving relatively low lift and are eiective for equalizing the flowstream.

Fluid is supplied to the vortex chamber 82 from a suitable source, notshown. by way of the annular passage 44 and inlet |00, and returned tothe source of supply by way of the clearances between the shrouds of theturbine and reaction member |28 to the housing, and thence through theopening 22, passages 20 and I4, thence through opening I6 and conduit I8to the source of supply.

In a normal operation, rotation of the impeller 54 by force transmittedthrough the drive shaft 42 results in energization of the fluid in thevortex cham-ber 82. As the fluid enters the turbine, the energy of theuid is absorbed by the vanes of the respective stages of the turbine 80and the reaction member. This results in rotation of the turbine and theconsequent transmission of force through the hub 32 thereof to a drivenshaft, not shown.

During this stage of operation, wherein the im` peller is rotating atlow speeds and the eiliciency of the transmission is substantially aminimum. the turbine is'rotating at reduced speed relative to theimpeller.

With the resultant change in ratio of the impeller to the turbine at lowspeeds of the impeller, the transmission is efiective to produce maximumtorque output without too greatly sacrificing eillciency of thetransmission.

At the same time that the turbine is receiving energy from the impeller,the reaction member ||8 remains in the flow stream of the fluid circuitdue to the fluid now impinging on the backs of the vanes |30 and |32,and is eiective to provide for torque multiplication of thetransmission.

Because of the particular character and arrangement oi' the vanes 84 and83 on the rst stage of the turbine, the maximum energy is absorbed fromthe iluid and the flow stream' is equalized as the fluid enters thereaction member through vanes |30 and passes through the second stageturbine vanes 3.0, thence to vanes |32 of the reaction member, wherein,due to the character and arrangement of vanes |30 and |32, the maximumreaction force with accompanying high torque multiplication is produced.The flow streamof fluid from vanes |32 is directed in the most eiilcientpath so that vanes 34 and 93 of the third stage of the turbine receivefurther energy from the fluid and equalize the flow stream andeffectively direct the fluid to the impeller.

Uponattaining a predetermined speed oi the impeller and associatedturbine, the now stream in the vortex chamber changes and the fluidixnpinges on the backs of the reaction vanes |30 and |32. This resultsin automatic movement of the reaction member ||3 on the bearing races|08 and ||0, and the consequent withdrawal ofthe vanes |30 and |32 fromthe iluid circuit due to the pivoting action aorded by toggles ||3between -the ring ||2 and carrier |20. Upon the full retraction of thereaction vanes |30 and |32 from the fluid circuit, the transmissionfunctions as a fluid coupling approaching a 1 to 1 operating ratio.

As the operating ratio approaches l to 1, the drag imposed on the iluidby vanes |03 subsides, wherein the vanes |06 and 88 are rotating atapproximately the same speed and the spring 18 acts to rotate the vanes38 and shroud 63 relativev to the shroud 10 and blades 60 effectivethrough the medium of lever 34 and toggle 12 to retract the shroud 10 toits normal position and thus provide .for increase 'of the impellerblade area. With an increase in the blade area of the impeller, thetransmission is effective to operate en the ,feces ef the venesrianfand|32, and this results in travel ci the reaction 'member on thebearingraces |08 and I Minto thef'iluid circuit."

At the same time the slippage occurring between the. impeller andturbine again results in the shroud 10 being moVed--axiallythroughthemedium of fluid coupling" 66, 68,104` and |06, lever 7 64, and togglel2 to decrease lthe-operating areal of the impeller. This completes thecycle of operationyfrom starting vspeed'through high speed, togetherwith the accompanying torque demand stages of operation of thetransmission'.y

While this invention has been described 1n eennection with certainspecific'- embodiments, the principle involved is susceptible ofnumerous other applications that will readily occur 4to persons skilledin the art.v The invention is, therefore,

-tobe limited only as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the various features of the invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

` 1. In a fluid transmissiomfan impeller, a turbine Afor cooperationvwithy the impeller, a reaction member for cooperation with the impellerand turbine, and means on the-turbine and impeller adapted to cooperate.to'varythe vblade area of the impeller.

12. Anuidtrensmissiencomprising an impeller,

a turbine providing in conjunction with the im' peller a uid circuit,and 'means internally ofthe circuitcontrolledl bythe cooperative actionoiv the impellerand turbine for varying the bladed area of the impeller.

' 3. A'iiuid transmission comprising an impeller,.A

a turbine providingin conjunction therewith a fluid circuit, a `reactionmember in the circuit, an axially movable shroudon the impeller, andmeans vassociated with the impeller,' and turbine for' actuating theshroud.

4. A iluid transmission comprising an impeller,v

a. turbinel providing in conjunction therewith a fluid circuit,y areaction member inthe circuit,l blades and vanes respectively `on theimpeller and turbine, bladed members onthe impeller and tur; bineadapted to cooperate with one another, and

, means associatedwith one -1 ofthe bladed members for varying 'theeiective area of the blades '5. A uid torque converter'comprising an im'peller, aturbine providing in conjunction therewitha iiuid circuit,l areaction member movable into and fout oi' lthe fluid circuit, blades. onthe impeller, f vaneson the turbina-1a shroud supported on theturbinev'ane'a, @shroud axially.

to aotuate the impeller shroud.'v 1

7. A uid transmission comprising an` impeller, a turbine providing inconjunction therewith a movable onv the [impeller blades, andmeansmounted internally of theshrouds adapted to move lthe shroud on,the-impeller, blades so as to vary the blade area of theimpeller.

` '6. `A fluid torqueconverter comprising yan impeller, a turbineprovidingin conjunction there: with a iiuid circuit, a reaction membermovable into land out of the fluid circuit, blades on the impeller,varies on the turbine, a shroud supportedon the turbine vanes, ashroudaxially movable on the impeller blades,fa shrouded blade member on theturbine shroud, anda shroud bladed member linked tothe impeller shroudadapted uponv rotation relative to the impeller fluid circuit, areaction member in the circuit, and means on the impeller and turbineadapted to cooperate to decrease the effective blade area of theimpeller when the transmission is opcrat ing as a torque converter. n

8. A fluid transmission comprising an impeller,

a turbine providing in conjunction. therewith e fluid rcircuit,areaction member in' the circuit, M

and 'meanson theimpeller and .turbine adapted turbine. i

to cooperate to decrease the 'effective blade areay of the impeller whenthe vtransmission is'operatefk ing-asa torquel converter and]y.togin'creaselthe` blade area o! .the impeller when tnevspeedrmq of thetransmission'approaches'l toi. Y

1o.` 'A num torque lmanyerter comprising peller, a turbine providing inconjunctiony with a fluid circuit, a reaction-member movable kinto andout of. the fiuidcircuit, b1adesonthe impeller, vanes on the turbine, ashroud supported on ythe turbine vanes, va shroud axially movable on theimpeller blades, a shrouded vblade member v onv the lturbine shroud,:and -a shrouded blade .member cooperating with the impellerfshroudadapted to move .the impellerfshroudaxially to decrease the effectiveblade area of the impeller when the shrouded blade member on the turbiney imposes a ldrag on theshrouded blade,meunier 1 associated with theimpeller' through iii

